• (The)Study of the Eastern Classic
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• no.69
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• pp.481-507
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• 2017

The petition movement to Paris peace conference was the movement for 137 Neo-Confucian scholars including Kwak Jong-seok to ask for Korean independence in March, 1919. Kim Bok-han had led all the course of Ho-seo version. Although we don't know the exact contents on the both of Yeong-nam and Ho-seo versions, but Ho-seo version might be more conservative than Yeong-nam version in comparison with other versions. This was because Ho-seo version basically represented the conservative stance of the Neo-Confucian scholars in Ho-seo (Southern Chung-cheong province). However although Ho-seo version had conservative characteristic, the projecting and practicing of petition movement to Paris peace conference shows Kim Bok-han's active attitude. What I would like to explain in this paper is the background of how spontaneously Kim led the movement. Especially I tried to make Kim's historical status be revealed through talking the idealogical history of Neo-Confucianism ignored until now. Although Kim received blames he behaved with barbarians when he led the petition movement from the conservatives, Kim never submitted on those blames. Kim's tolerant attitude was prominent in relation with Hwa-seo school against which Nam-dang school(Kim's party) was a rival, especially from also after 'the problem of Choe Ik-hyeon' in 1903. This attitude was connected to the petition movement in tolerant manner. The tolerant attitude like this was revealed from Kim's historical consciousness attached importance to 'the completion of work'.